A Father’s Job Teaching And Guiding His Children Is Never Done

I talk to my Dad at least once a week. Sometimes it's to tell him about a sporting event or concert that the grandkids are in. Other times it's just to talk about the weather or his golf game. These last few years of conversations with him have brought several things to light. One, I sound more like my father with every passing year. And two, a father's job of teaching is never done.

I would say that many of our conversations these days, have to do with the difficulty of raising kids in 2023. Technology and social media have made it an even tougher task than when my Mom and Dad became parents. My Dad has said to me more than once, that he doesn't envy being a parent in the times we live in today. What he might not always realize is that while the circumstances surrounding kids today are different, the kids themselves are inherently the same. Lessons that my Dad strived to teach my younger brother Adam and myself still apply today.

I have been a father myself now for over 18 years. Three kids later you'd think I would have a few things figured out. But this year I've found myself asking my Dad for advice even more often. 30 years ago his first child was graduating from high school and wasn't quite sure of his career path. Now it's my turn. A father's job of teaching and guiding his children is never done. There are always more lessons to learn. Things you can improve on and do better. And even though I'm 48 years old, I'm still listening to my Dad's advice.

I take my role as a father very seriously. I treasure the relationship I have with my kids. I've told them before that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. Despite our best intentions, we all make mistakes. But we do so with our kid's best interests at heart. Happy Father's Day to all the great dads in the world. To my father-in-law Greg. To my brother Adam. To my brother-in-law Chaz.  And to my Dad, Steve. I'll call you later.

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